One of the programmers in the early days of Coop Radio was Ingrid Klassen. She produced and hosted the 'Sunday Evening Post' show, where one could hear interviews and readings by local authors and poets.
Here is an edited version of her obituary ...
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Ingrid Ruth Klassen on March 30th 2021 in the Critical Care Cardiac Unit at Vancouver General Hospital.
Ingrid grew up in a small farm in Sardis in the picturesque Fraser Valley, where she developed her love of the outdoors and of adventure. After graduating with a teaching degree from UBC, she enjoyed teaching in an American school in the vibrant culture of Sao Paulo Brazil for two years. On her return home she furthered her teaching career in Port Alberni, Port Hardy, Port Simpson and at Talmud Torah in Vancouver.
She was a lover of books and left teaching to work among books, her favourite thing. She interviewed authors for Coop Radio on her show The Sunday Evening Post. She was also influential in the founding of Caitlin Press (established in 1977), a feminist literary press. She also edited D’Sonoqua: An Anthology of Women Poets of British Columbia (Intermedia Press, 1979, two volumes). Later on, she worked at Octopus Books on the Drive and finished her career working in Special Collections at the UBC Bookstore.
After her retirement, Ingrid trained with the Vancouver Hospice Society and looked forward to her volunteer work in the community. At home, she loved to take the sun in a small garden of tomatoes and red geraniums that she called her grotto.
Ingrid was a seasoned traveler and was particularly fond of the waterways of Venice and the islands of Greece introduced to her by her friend Deborah
She was a wise and generous spirit who walked gently on this earth. She will be deeply mourned and sorely missed by those who knew her.
AUDIO CLIP from Coop Radio's Bedtime Stories For Adults, originally broadcast in 1976. "1. The Fox, The Cock and The Dog; 2. The Wind and The Sun; 3. Hercules and The Wagoner; 4. The Old Woman and the Wine Jar; 5. The Crow and the Pitcher. All stories by Aesop, read by Ingrid Klassen."
You can listen to it HERE (mp3)
PHOTO of Ingrid was taken in 2018 on the balcony of the apartment of her good friend, writer Ruth Kozak.
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A private family Zoom meeting was held in Ingrid’s honour.
If you wish to do something in Ingrid’s memory, please consider a donation to the BCSPCA, or a charity of your choice.